It has been a brutal Saturday at the library. I had no idea how tired I was, but after about an hour of work, I really wanted to go home for a nap! I realized that the best approach for the day would be to keep mixing things up. Literally and figuratively! I actually sat in 4 different locations in the library today, including about an hour in the cafeteria. I also did several 30 minutes activities, including searching for papers for my literature review, creating a project plan, and preparing for upcoming meetings regarding data sets. In short, I was looking for tasks that needed to be completed but wouldn’t require deep concentration.
I also managed to squeeze in a chapter of John Creswell’s “Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods” book and then write 1000 words on my proposal related to my research design. I can hear my supervisor stressing the importance of writing regularly and the importance of not worrying about editing…
Next week my focus will be on reading some new papers. I also have my first meeting with a company who may have data that I can leverage. I have prepared a list of questions for the meeting and am really keeping my fingers crossed for a favourable outcome. I have another similar meeting scheduled for early April. I am really starting to understand the importance of nailing this decision down soon. It will it enable me to write a well thought out Research Proposal. Also, more importantly, given my desire to do sequential mixed methods approach, it is imperative to use existing quantitative data if I want to complete my doctorate in a timely fashion. Speaking of time, I need to sign off now. My partner is picking me up in 10 minutes for dinner and a movie.